I have just had a set of results back and they r as follows:
TSH 1.44 (0.27-4.2)
T4: 16.6 (12.0-22.0)
T3: 7.1 (3.1-6.8)
As you can see my T3 is too high.
I take 75mg of T4 each day
And 10mg T3 three x a week.
Is lowering my T3 as simple as reducing the amount I take? Perhaps to 10mg twice a week rather than three times? Or do I have to increase my T4 meds to lower T3?
Any advice would be great. Thanks.
I think it's probably more complicated than either of those solutions.
Taking T3 just three times a week is not a good idea.
If T3 is going to do what it's supposed to do, you need to take the same dose every day.
T3 is needed by every single cell in your body to function correctly. But, when it's in short supply, the body turns off some receptors that it considers expendable. Which is what causes symptoms.
In order to get those receptors turned on again, the body needs to be assured of a constant supply of T3 every day - it's not a storage hormone, like T4.
If it doesn't get that constant supply, then the receptors stay turned off. So, it could be that your FT3 is high because your body isn't using it. This is just a theory, no scientific proof. But, maybe if you changed to taking 5 mcg every day your FT3 might come down, even though that's an increase in the weekly total of T3. Worth a try, anyway. 
Thank you grey goose for your response. This has never been explained to me before. Perhaps I need to see a specialist. Out of interest do they do 5mg T3?
I should imagine that no-one has ever explained it to you because their knowledge of thyroid and the treatment of hypo doesn't extend that far. Not many doctors even know what T3 is!
I don't know if there are any 5 mcg tablets out there. People usually cut their 20 mcg tablets into four to get the 5 mcg they need. Or, if their tablets are 25 mcg, a quarter is 6.25 mcg, but the difference is so small it doesn't matter.
Real thyroid specialist are few and far between - although plenty of endos claim to be, even though they know little about it. And that sort of endo is best avoided. We always have to pick our endos very carefullyl. Even recommendations from other patients can turn out to be duffers. And relatively few of them are T3-friendly.
Oh! just seen below that you took your T3 on the morning of the test! So that is why it was so high! You should leave a gap of 8-12 hours between your last dose of T3 and the blood draw. 24 hours for levo.
Thank you for your reply.
So as I see it, I need to retest at 9am in the morning. Having not taken my T4 and T3 meds for 24 hours to be safe, that will then give me my correct reading?
Thanks so much
9 am, yes, and fasting. But 24 hours is too long for T3, that's for levo. T3 is 8 to 12 hours. That will give you the highest TSH - although it's bound to be low when you're taking T3 - and the normal circulating level of T3 and T4. If you take your hormones closer to the blood draw, all you will be testing is the dose you just took. And that's not what you want to know.
Last question, I hope!!
If I can get a prescription for 2.5mg T3 and take it twice a day. How long does one does of 2.5mg stay in my system for?
Thinking I might ask for 5mg if they’ll give it to me and take it every day.
You really have been so helpful today, can’t thank you enough.
Ask as many questions as you like! that's what we're here for.
T3 has a half-life in the blood of about 24 hours. That means that if you took 5 mcg this morning, but tomorrow morning there would be about 2.5 mcg left, minus what got into the cells. What gets into the cells stays there for about 3 days.
I really wouldn't recommend splitting 5 mcg into two doses, 2.5 mcg is such a small amount it probably won't help much. Whilst you're on 5 mcg I would suggest taking it all in one go.
Out of interest as you are so knowledgeable.
What is your opinion on thyroid medication and HRT can it be done or should I stay clear of HRT? In your opinion do thyroid meds increase the risk of cancer if you are on private HRT? Thank you.
I know some about thyroid, but I don't know anything about HRT. I did try it briefly many years ago (I'm now 79) but I didn't like it, and it didn't do anything for me, so I stopped.
I don't know of any reason your should steer clear of HRT - many, many women take it. But I can't for the life of me see why private HRT would increase cancer risk with or without thyroid hormones.
I suggest you write a new post asking just that. There are many member that are well clued up on HRT. I'm just not one of them.
When was your last dose of T3 before this test and how much did you take then?
T3 is an immediate acting hormone and needs to be taken the same amount every day, otherwise your ody will get terribly confused. Its only possible to alternate or change doses of Levo because its a storage hormone.
How have you arrived at your current dose?
FT4 is currently too low at 46% of range, you should be aiming for 70% on combi dose.
Your TSH is too high for someone taking some T3 so likely overall you are under replaced.
Do you do tests as per the protocol recommended here?
Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).
Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.
What are latest vitmin results?
What supplements are you taking?
I took my T4 and T3 at 7am the same morning as my test, which was a fasting one at 9am.
My currant dose has been on trial and era over the last three years. My T4 has been pretty stable for the last 8months and so has my T3 but I was lacking energy and I felt perhaps I needed a touch more T3 so I popped it up to 10mg every other day instead of 10mg twice a week. I have never seen a thyroid specialist only GP’s. I wonder if I should just go back to twice a week. I could perhaps put my tiredness down to perimenopause.
Thanks so much for getting back to me.
Catherine
So you would benefit from changing the way you take your tests to what I outlined in my reply above. Both your FT4 & FT3 are shoing false highs due to taking them just before the test.
Which country do you live in?
As I said, T3 needs to be taken daily at the same dose.
Suggest you retest as recommended, meantime put Levo up by 25mcgs.
What are your latest vitamin results?
Thank you for this. All my vitamin results are fine.
was test done with last dose Levothyroxine 24 hours before test
assuming yes
Suggest you increase Levothyroxine to 100mcg daily
And change T3 dose to 5mcg EVERYDAY
T3 it’s extremely important to take same dose everyday
Ideally at same time everyday as well
If you have 10mcg tablets cut in half to get 5mcg
Perhaps trial 2 x 2.5mcg per day
Taking 2.5mcg waking and 2.5mcg roughly 10 hours later
Day before test last dose T3 should be 8-12 hours before test
ESSENTIAL to test vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin
Please add most recent results
You should take the same amount of T3 every day. I used to cut mine into eights when I first started on T3. You can cut them easily with a craft knife.
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